WEBVTT 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:11.099 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:15.019 like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.100 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.980 to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.920 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.399 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:32.000 message. Good. So good to see everyone. Standing 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:34.320 room only. It's beautiful. If you're joining 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:37.159 us from home, welcome. Thank you for sitting 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:40.259 on your couch and hanging out with us. So we're 00:00:40.259 --> 00:00:44.119 in the final week of our March message series 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.600 called Minefield. It's been a great month, great 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:52.259 series so far. Would you agree? Okay. Not too 00:00:52.259 --> 00:00:56.590 excited about it, but that's okay. I know for 00:00:56.590 --> 00:00:59.369 me, I'm thinking and seeing a little bit clearer 00:00:59.369 --> 00:01:03.409 in the last few weeks discussing these issues. 00:01:03.509 --> 00:01:06.469 And today, I simply want to talk about a category 00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:10.510 of mental health that a lot of people don't always 00:01:10.510 --> 00:01:15.370 address. Here's the reality. We have a spiritual 00:01:15.370 --> 00:01:19.510 enemy. Many of us know that. And see, our spiritual 00:01:19.510 --> 00:01:22.989 enemy attacks those of us that are pursuing the 00:01:22.989 --> 00:01:26.900 heart of God. As we've been working through this 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:29.620 series, maybe we've made some changes. Maybe 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:33.879 our mental outlook is a little bit clearer. And 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:36.480 typically, we always think that our enemy comes 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:39.920 at us when we're struggling. But see, he often 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:44.120 attacks us harder when we're healing and desiring 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:48.180 to be more like Jesus. And in the changes that 00:01:48.180 --> 00:01:52.459 we've been making over the last few weeks, these 00:01:52.459 --> 00:01:55.719 changes have begun to solidify. which has allowed 00:01:55.719 --> 00:01:59.000 us to grow closer to God. We've been experiencing 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:01.060 a little bit more peace, a little bit more joy, 00:02:01.260 --> 00:02:05.120 a little bit more hope in our life. Maybe you're 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.280 sleeping a little better. Maybe the anxiety is 00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:11.639 not as constant. Maybe you finally made some 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:14.840 decisions that you've been putting off. Maybe 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:17.439 that self -doubt has been silenced and you've 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:20.199 received that you are, in fact, a masterpiece. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.800 Well, see, it's when those truths solidify in 00:02:23.800 --> 00:02:26.460 our heart, that when fear begins to whisper? 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:30.139 What if these changes, what if this progress 00:02:30.139 --> 00:02:35.340 doesn't last? What if that problem, that addiction 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:40.159 that I once had returns? Am I really better? 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:45.340 Was I really healed? See, those thoughts are 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:50.360 real. Those whispers are true. And the Bible 00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:54.689 addresses them in many different places. So today 00:02:54.689 --> 00:02:56.870 we're going to close out our Mind Field series 00:02:56.870 --> 00:03:00.289 by simply discussing the importance of protecting 00:03:00.289 --> 00:03:04.250 our minds, taking care of our minds so that we 00:03:04.250 --> 00:03:07.729 can think clear, so that we can see clear, and 00:03:07.729 --> 00:03:11.189 that we can truly walk in abundance. So let's 00:03:11.189 --> 00:03:15.250 open in prayer. Holy Spirit come. God, we just 00:03:15.250 --> 00:03:18.449 acknowledge that you're already here. We're grateful 00:03:18.449 --> 00:03:22.139 for your presence and your peace. God, I just 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:26.500 silence any distractions in Jesus' name. And 00:03:26.500 --> 00:03:28.719 God, I just pray that you would open our minds, 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:32.840 our hearts, our ears to receive your truth today, 00:03:32.939 --> 00:03:37.620 God. May we all be changed as we gather together. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:42.639 In Jesus' name, amen. So that leads us to our 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:46.900 first truth today. See, Jesus wants his followers 00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:53.650 free. Jesus wants his followers free. Paul writes 00:03:53.650 --> 00:03:57.490 in Galatians chapter 5 verse 1, so Christ has 00:03:57.490 --> 00:04:03.169 truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay 00:04:03.169 --> 00:04:06.550 free and don't get tied up again in the slavery 00:04:06.550 --> 00:04:11.430 to the law. Now the context of this verse, Paul 00:04:11.430 --> 00:04:15.319 is speaking about the freedom from the law. But 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:18.220 this principle, this principle about being free 00:04:18.220 --> 00:04:22.279 applies to any area of our life that Jesus sets 00:04:22.279 --> 00:04:28.160 us free from. We are in fact free indeed. And 00:04:28.160 --> 00:04:30.519 I want to show you a very direct and very literal 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:33.759 translation of this verse. It's from the English 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.319 Standard Version, the ESV. And this translation 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:43.670 reads, For freedom Christ has set us free. Now 00:04:43.670 --> 00:04:49.069 notice, Paul uses the same root word two times 00:04:49.069 --> 00:04:53.790 in the same sentence. Freedom and free. That's 00:04:53.790 --> 00:04:57.629 called a cognate construction. And Paul is using 00:04:57.629 --> 00:05:02.350 the same root word, not by accident. It was actually 00:05:02.350 --> 00:05:07.269 by choice. Paul is trying to show us that freedom 00:05:07.269 --> 00:05:12.879 was the intention. That's why Jesus came. Jesus 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:16.740 came, yes, to forgive us our sins, but he didn't 00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:19.360 just come to forgive us our sins. He came to 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.560 set us free from the burden of the law and the 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:27.079 things that hold us hostage in this life. Anything 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:31.240 that's less than God's will for your life, Jesus 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.060 desires to set us free from it. How do I know 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:35.920 that? Well, Jesus shared these words in John 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:40.540 chapter 8, verses 31 to 32 and 36. Jesus said 00:05:40.540 --> 00:05:43.500 to the people who believed in him, you are truly 00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:47.579 my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.920 And you will know the truth, and the truth will 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:55.680 set you free. And then in verse 36 he says, so 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:00.740 if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:06.019 So obviously Jesus wants to set us free from 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:10.199 this worldly grasp. That literally grabs a hold 00:06:10.199 --> 00:06:12.660 of our spirit, grabs a hold of our minds, and 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:17.480 pulls us away from God. For example, many of 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:21.100 us can reference this chain. It's a real chain. 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:23.480 It's not plastic. I'm not going to break it in 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.199 my own strength. Thank you, Steve. All right, 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:30.170 it's a steel chain. Weighs about 20 pounds. And 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:34.350 imagine this chain represents all the different 00:06:34.350 --> 00:06:37.310 issues that we've been addressing with our mental 00:06:37.310 --> 00:06:40.129 health in this series. All the things that hold 00:06:40.129 --> 00:06:46.209 us back. Scarcity, fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, 00:06:46.569 --> 00:06:52.410 negativity, lust, sin. And quite often when those 00:06:52.410 --> 00:06:55.389 things are in our life, we want to break free 00:06:55.389 --> 00:06:57.589 from them and we try to do it in our own strength. 00:06:57.629 --> 00:07:00.829 But it's just not possible. This chain can't 00:07:00.829 --> 00:07:04.250 be broken. And when we try to fix it in our own 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:08.069 strength and in our own will, then suddenly we're 00:07:08.069 --> 00:07:11.209 going to God constantly asking for forgiveness. 00:07:11.910 --> 00:07:15.639 God, forgive me. I'll try harder tomorrow. God, 00:07:15.639 --> 00:07:17.939 forgive me this time. I won't mess up again. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.319 I won't use again. I won't look again. I won't 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:23.139 say those words again. And we're constantly going 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:26.800 back to God day after day after day, seeking 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.680 the forgiveness, which is good. But Jesus doesn't 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:32.879 want us to come to him every single day struggling 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:37.160 with the same sins, struggling with the same 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:40.120 issues. He wants to do what? He wants to free 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:43.699 us. But see, when we try to do things on our 00:07:43.699 --> 00:07:46.639 own strength, we're not able to do that. We just 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:50.480 get more and more consumed with guilt and shame. 00:07:50.540 --> 00:07:53.279 We get overwhelmed. We feel like we're not good 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:56.040 enough. And that's when the enemy then takes 00:07:56.040 --> 00:08:00.000 a lock and he puts it into the chain and he seals 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.160 it shut. And then we feel like we can't move 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:06.459 anywhere and we're stuck. But see, Jesus always 00:08:06.459 --> 00:08:09.860 gives us the key. And do you know what the key 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:15.350 is? It's him. He is the key. We have the key 00:08:15.350 --> 00:08:19.189 available to us. Whenever we choose, we just 00:08:19.189 --> 00:08:21.529 have to choose to what? We have to choose to 00:08:21.529 --> 00:08:27.050 use it. And when we use it, then the chains can 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:30.850 come off, not in our own strength, but in his 00:08:30.850 --> 00:08:36.529 strength. The point is, Jesus came to set us 00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:42.120 free. Freedom isn't something we earn. It's something 00:08:42.120 --> 00:08:47.659 Jesus gives. Paul says it this way. Christ has 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:50.639 truly set us free. But then he takes it a step 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.980 further and he says, hey, church, make sure you 00:08:53.980 --> 00:08:59.019 stay free. Don't get tied up again. In other 00:08:59.019 --> 00:09:04.100 words, fight to stay free. How do we do this? 00:09:05.220 --> 00:09:10.919 How do we do this? often attacks us harder when 00:09:10.919 --> 00:09:13.519 we make changes. When we desire to become more 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:15.659 like Jesus, we join a growth group. We're in 00:09:15.659 --> 00:09:19.200 now what? We join a team, right? We're serving 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:21.240 in the church. We're going to give away flowers. 00:09:21.960 --> 00:09:24.120 Maybe some of you signed up to get baptized. 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:27.779 Now you're second guessing it, right? He'll fight 00:09:27.779 --> 00:09:30.820 you when you're down. But once you start to make 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:33.460 changes, looks out because he wants to bring 00:09:33.460 --> 00:09:36.580 you back down to where you once were. He wants 00:09:36.580 --> 00:09:40.879 you to go back into bondage. And how do I know 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.279 that? Well, 1 Peter 5, 8 reminds us, hey, church, 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:46.320 stay alert. You're a great enemy of the devil. 00:09:46.340 --> 00:09:47.980 He prowls around like a roaring lion looking 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:51.960 for someone to devour. So Paul is, again, reminding 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:55.340 us, stay alert. Resist him. Stay firm in the 00:09:55.340 --> 00:09:59.000 truth of Jesus. See, we can't just walk blindly 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:02.279 through life once Jesus sets us free. Because 00:10:02.279 --> 00:10:05.080 if we just walk blindly through life, the enemy's 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:07.360 going to tempt us and he's going to lure us back 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:11.139 to what? Back to the chains. Because he knows 00:10:11.139 --> 00:10:13.360 when we're in bondage, we're no good for God's 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:17.460 kingdom. See, Jesus doesn't just want to free 00:10:17.460 --> 00:10:20.700 us one time. He wants us to live free all the 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:24.860 time. And we have to be careful in this. Paul 00:10:24.860 --> 00:10:27.580 again writes in 1 Corinthians 10, 12, if you 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:31.649 think you are standing strong, be careful. not 00:10:31.649 --> 00:10:34.330 to fall. Now it's interesting where he writes, 00:10:34.330 --> 00:10:37.230 be careful. Because notice Paul doesn't say, 00:10:37.289 --> 00:10:39.750 if you're feeling weak, be careful. If you're 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:41.409 feeling empty, be careful. If you're feeling 00:10:41.409 --> 00:10:44.090 vulnerable, be careful. No, he says, if you think 00:10:44.090 --> 00:10:45.990 you're standing strong, if you think you got 00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:52.309 it all together, be on guard. Be careful. Because 00:10:52.309 --> 00:10:54.529 some would argue that the most dangerous moment 00:10:54.529 --> 00:10:57.950 spiritually is not when you know you're vulnerable, 00:10:58.129 --> 00:11:01.259 but when you think you're not. When you think 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:05.500 you got it all together. Be careful. Be careful. 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:11.440 Be careful. Which moves us to address three ways 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:16.120 that we stay mentally strong. Three ways staying 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:18.500 mentally strong. Which leads us to our first 00:11:18.500 --> 00:11:22.700 one. We have to be careful about our inputs. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.019 Be careful about our inputs. And you say, well, 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:27.940 what does that mean? We have to be careful about 00:11:27.940 --> 00:11:31.100 what we allow into our minds. Okay, just think 00:11:31.100 --> 00:11:33.639 about your iPhone or whatever kind of phone you 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:36.580 have or your iPad or your computer, whatever 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:40.220 comes across your feed. How's that? The music 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:42.960 you listen to, the shows you watch, the people 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:47.480 you talk to. I want you to think about your inputs. 00:11:48.259 --> 00:11:52.759 Why? Because whatever gets your attention gets 00:11:52.759 --> 00:11:56.179 into your thoughts. And your thoughts, they may 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:58.980 start real small, but they don't stay small. 00:11:59.690 --> 00:12:01.909 See, once those thoughts begin to take root, 00:12:01.990 --> 00:12:04.289 they start to grow and then they start to spread. 00:12:04.590 --> 00:12:06.809 And the more you think a thought, the easier 00:12:06.809 --> 00:12:11.070 it is to think that thought because God created 00:12:11.070 --> 00:12:13.649 our mind to have these things called neural pathways. 00:12:14.350 --> 00:12:17.730 And we make these neural pathways in our brains, 00:12:17.929 --> 00:12:22.330 good and bad. And if you're thinking on the wrong 00:12:22.330 --> 00:12:24.970 thoughts, they're going to take you in the wrong 00:12:24.970 --> 00:12:27.860 direction. And that's why Paul wrote in Philippians 00:12:27.860 --> 00:12:31.139 4 .8, Dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:35.179 Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:38.019 right, pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think 00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:40.220 about things that are excellent and worthy of 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:44.299 praise. See, Paul says to think about what you're 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:47.519 thinking about. Think about what you're thinking 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.820 about because your thoughts shape your mind, 00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:53.759 your mind shapes your heart, and your heart shapes 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:56.360 your life and where you're headed. That's why 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:58.240 Solomon wrote these words in Proverbs chapter 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:00.820 four, guard your heart above all else for it 00:13:00.820 --> 00:13:03.340 determines the course of your life. In other 00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:06.659 words, be careful about your inputs because what 00:13:06.659 --> 00:13:09.919 fills your mind fills your heart. What forms 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:12.659 your heart determines the course of your life. 00:13:13.620 --> 00:13:17.500 And please don't overlook this truth. Every single 00:13:17.500 --> 00:13:19.679 one of us need to be open to what the Spirit 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:23.240 of God will show us today. Reflect on what you 00:13:23.240 --> 00:13:26.860 look at. Maybe how you relax in the evening. 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:29.080 What do you stream? What movies do you watch? 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:34.799 What shows are you into? Now reflect on what 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:37.860 you listen to. What type of music? What genre? 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:44.259 Now ask yourself, are these two helping me become 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:46.580 more like Jesus, or are they pulling me away? 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:51.000 Are these two strengthening my mental outlook, 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.980 or is it weakening me? Is it building my faith 00:13:53.980 --> 00:13:56.000 in God's truth or is it creating anxiety and 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.340 fear? Do I feel left out? Do I feel depressed? 00:13:59.919 --> 00:14:02.100 Is it helping me get stronger in the kingdom 00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:04.080 of God and more secure in my relationship with 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:07.940 Jesus? Or is it distracting me from the truth 00:14:07.940 --> 00:14:12.399 that sets me free and keeps me free? Because 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:15.000 when you scroll through our culture today, which 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:16.679 many of you are doing, some of you are doing 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:22.889 it right now. You're literally asking God for 00:14:22.889 --> 00:14:25.350 a peace of mind. God, I need peace. And you're 00:14:25.350 --> 00:14:27.309 feeding your mind with things that cause you 00:14:27.309 --> 00:14:32.990 anxiety. See, what you consume every day, if 00:14:32.990 --> 00:14:35.610 it makes you feel angry, fearful, insecure, empty, 00:14:35.789 --> 00:14:39.730 anxious, left out, if it makes you feel anything 00:14:39.730 --> 00:14:45.809 less than a masterpiece of God, change the input. 00:14:46.929 --> 00:14:51.879 Change it. You have the power to do it. Think 00:14:51.879 --> 00:14:55.899 about this. Social media went mainstream in 2004, 00:14:56.120 --> 00:15:00.279 followed by Instagram launching in 2010. It's 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:04.559 only 16 years ago. Now look at the numbers. Anxiety 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:06.539 and depression has doubled in teens and young 00:15:06.539 --> 00:15:11.500 adults. 16 years. And the crazy thing is social 00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:15.600 media is now normal. For most of you, it's just 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.700 a normal thing. But just because it's normal 00:15:18.700 --> 00:15:22.960 doesn't mean it's healthy. Now, some of you, 00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:25.879 social media is a gift. It's mostly good. You 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:28.120 stay in touch with people. You learn interesting 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:33.519 info. You post random cat photos. You know who 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.440 got married. You know who's having a kid. For 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:39.559 some of you, it's good. For the others of you, 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:42.419 it's literally wrecking your life. And if you 00:15:42.419 --> 00:15:45.389 take an honest look at it objectively, you would 00:15:45.389 --> 00:15:49.490 say the experiment has gone totally wrong. So 00:15:49.490 --> 00:15:52.330 if the results aren't healthy, what should we 00:15:52.330 --> 00:15:57.549 do? Change it. Are there benefits? If the answer 00:15:57.549 --> 00:15:59.610 is yes, then they're mostly benefits, then enjoy 00:15:59.610 --> 00:16:02.769 it. If the benefits is costing you your mental 00:16:02.769 --> 00:16:06.629 health, then change the input. Now, some of you 00:16:06.629 --> 00:16:08.129 think, well, Chris, I don't do social media. 00:16:08.230 --> 00:16:11.690 Good, God bless you. Maybe you're scrolling the 00:16:11.690 --> 00:16:15.110 news in the evening. And then suddenly you can't 00:16:15.110 --> 00:16:19.009 sleep at night. You're having nightmares. Don't 00:16:19.009 --> 00:16:24.549 look at the news. Choose not to be informed. 00:16:25.710 --> 00:16:28.169 If you're streaming shows that literally lower 00:16:28.169 --> 00:16:32.350 your standards and desensitize you to sin, makes 00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:35.190 swearing normal in your life. It's just a normal 00:16:35.190 --> 00:16:37.629 pattern. Makes looking at other people having 00:16:37.629 --> 00:16:41.429 sex on TV acceptable. Maybe you should change 00:16:41.429 --> 00:16:45.460 what you're watching. Just saying. If you're 00:16:45.460 --> 00:16:47.940 listening to music with a great beat that makes 00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:50.960 you move your body, but the lyrics are encouraging 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.220 you to compromise your faith, you might want 00:16:54.220 --> 00:16:57.799 to change what you want to listen to. Be careful 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:01.600 with your inputs. Well, Chris, I don't want to 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:05.240 be religious. Good, I'm not religious. But I 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:06.940 also know that there's things that I can put 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:08.579 into my mind that are going to pull me away from 00:17:08.579 --> 00:17:11.200 God rather than pushing me closer to him. You 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:12.819 don't have to be religious to make a change. 00:17:13.500 --> 00:17:18.480 Just choose to live a godly life. Number one, 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:21.519 it's all about your inputs. Be careful about 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:24.559 them. Which moves us to our second focus. Be 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:28.980 careful about our habits. And this is so important 00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:30.640 because as you're growing in your mental health, 00:17:30.839 --> 00:17:35.359 your habits sustain your mental health. How do 00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:38.619 you heal? You heal by God's grace, forgiveness, 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:42.579 freedom. and hard work. You stayed healed by 00:17:42.579 --> 00:17:46.940 God's grace and healthy habits. The habits you 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:50.759 keep will keep you healthy. Paul said this in 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:53.660 Galatians 6 -7, you will always harvest what 00:17:53.660 --> 00:17:57.940 you plant. There you go. In other words, what 00:17:57.940 --> 00:18:00.319 you sow over and over again brings to harvest. 00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:03.619 If you have healthy habits and are practicing 00:18:03.619 --> 00:18:05.460 them, you're going to have a healthy harvest. 00:18:05.819 --> 00:18:08.839 If you have unhealthy habits, you're gonna have 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:13.440 an unhealthy harvest. So what do we do? Well, 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:15.359 if there was something that was hurting you mentally 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:19.440 in your past, create healthy habits that keep 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.920 you free in the future. And it could be anything. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.559 Again, back to anxiety. Maybe anxiety is ruling 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:28.660 your mind. Then create a habit of the first thing 00:18:28.660 --> 00:18:32.539 you do when you wake up is to spend time with 00:18:32.539 --> 00:18:36.359 God in prayer and reading the Bible. Can I get 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:39.329 an amen in that? All right, but here's the habit 00:18:39.329 --> 00:18:42.329 you have to create. That's a good thought, but 00:18:42.329 --> 00:18:43.970 you've got to set your alarm 30 minutes earlier. 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:50.430 Some of you are like, okay, I'm out. Do you see? 00:18:51.130 --> 00:18:54.130 See, the habit is not the devotional time. The 00:18:54.130 --> 00:18:57.369 habit is setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier 00:18:57.369 --> 00:19:01.009 so you can have the devotional time. And when 00:19:01.009 --> 00:19:03.230 we allow the truth in the Bible to rule our minds, 00:19:04.200 --> 00:19:07.339 Comfort comes to our spirits and it guides our 00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:11.720 very steps. See, we're creating habits for us 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:15.299 to stay healthy. For some of you, you're burnt 00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:18.740 out. You're working too hard. And you're working 00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:21.140 so hard going in so many different directions, 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:24.539 it's literally destroying your life. Okay, take 00:19:24.539 --> 00:19:29.000 a truth from the Bible called the Sabbath, where 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:32.119 there's a day that you don't work, you don't 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:36.210 go to work, and you turn off your phone so you 00:19:36.210 --> 00:19:40.109 can recover. You might then find that when you 00:19:40.109 --> 00:19:41.950 live God's way, you're more productive the other 00:19:41.950 --> 00:19:46.029 six days of the week. God's promises are true 00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:50.210 and set us free. If you find yourself always 00:19:50.210 --> 00:19:53.190 feeling left out, you're doomsday scrolling. 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.380 My life is empty. Everyone else's life is amazing. 00:19:56.799 --> 00:19:59.539 She's having a massage. She's spending time in 00:19:59.539 --> 00:20:02.019 the sauna. Now she has new shoes and a boyfriend 00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:06.900 that put the ring on it. I'm bored, stuck, and 00:20:06.900 --> 00:20:13.400 empty. Look, if that makes you feel bad, limit 00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:16.000 yourself to 20 minutes a day on social media. 00:20:16.420 --> 00:20:21.279 Stop doomsday scrolling. If you don't like the 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:26.539 outcome, change the input. For me, personally, 00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:30.380 I've been struggling with adoption lately. It's 00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:33.059 been a long 20 years of church planning and pastoring 00:20:33.059 --> 00:20:41.579 you. I love you. So the week after Easter, we 00:20:41.579 --> 00:20:43.980 have decided to give our entire staff the week 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:54.079 off. Why? Why? Because we need it. And I didn't 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:55.839 even recognize it. I was going to keep on working. 00:20:55.859 --> 00:20:59.039 Thank you, Tracy. And whoever else came up with 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.220 that idea. Why? Because that's just in my nature. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.940 I work and work and work and work. But we have 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.359 to intentionally create a habit for all of us 00:21:08.359 --> 00:21:12.319 to stay what? Healthy. You have to do the same 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:14.960 thing. If you find yourself consistently struggling, 00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:19.730 look at your habits. Certain habits make you 00:21:19.730 --> 00:21:22.390 struggle more. Certain habits make you become 00:21:22.390 --> 00:21:25.710 healthier. Remember, how do we heal? We heal 00:21:25.710 --> 00:21:29.950 by God's grace and hard work. We remain healed 00:21:29.950 --> 00:21:34.430 through God's grace and healthy habits. That's 00:21:34.430 --> 00:21:37.569 why Paul said in Romans 12, brothers and sisters, 00:21:38.250 --> 00:21:40.869 I plead with you to give your bodies to God because 00:21:40.869 --> 00:21:43.430 of all he has done for you. Let them be a living 00:21:43.430 --> 00:21:45.970 and holy sacrifice, the kind you'll find acceptable. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:50.180 That's truly the way to worship him. And he continues. 00:21:51.180 --> 00:21:54.880 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world. 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:57.819 Let God transform you into a new person by changing 00:21:57.819 --> 00:22:01.019 the way you think. If it's normal in this world, 00:22:01.099 --> 00:22:04.599 it doesn't have to be normal in a Jesus follower's 00:22:04.599 --> 00:22:09.440 life. Because we are not of this world. We are 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:13.519 now a part of the kingdom of God. Be careful. 00:22:14.329 --> 00:22:17.369 with your inputs. Be careful with your habits, 00:22:17.549 --> 00:22:20.349 which leads us to our final focus. Be careful 00:22:20.349 --> 00:22:26.190 about our relationships. Proverbs 13, 20. Walk 00:22:26.190 --> 00:22:30.430 with the wise and become wise. Associate with 00:22:30.430 --> 00:22:34.430 fools and get in trouble. And we thought mom 00:22:34.430 --> 00:22:40.529 quoted that. See, if you find yourself struggling 00:22:40.529 --> 00:22:44.359 mentally today, look at your friends. Look at 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:47.160 who you're hanging out with. After all, 1 Corinthians 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:49.700 15 says, don't be fooled by those who say such 00:22:49.700 --> 00:22:52.440 things, for bad company corrupts good behavior. 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.920 And again, back to Proverbs chapter 12, the godly 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:58.500 give good advice to their friends, the wicked 00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:01.339 lead them astray. Let's pause and look at our 00:23:01.339 --> 00:23:04.799 relationships. If you're trying to stay mentally 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:08.220 healthy, you cannot spend a lot of time around 00:23:08.220 --> 00:23:13.869 people who make you sick. If a friend of yours 00:23:13.869 --> 00:23:17.930 starts to pull you back away from God, love them, 00:23:18.210 --> 00:23:22.230 encourage them, but redefine the relationship. 00:23:24.089 --> 00:23:26.990 You don't want to be shaped by them, but you 00:23:26.990 --> 00:23:30.089 can still love them. I mean, this is an obvious 00:23:30.089 --> 00:23:32.930 truth to all of our friends in recovery. We have 00:23:32.930 --> 00:23:34.950 a lot of friends that gather with us on Sundays 00:23:34.950 --> 00:23:37.849 that are in recovery. And all of them know that 00:23:37.849 --> 00:23:39.789 if you're addicted and you're wanting to get 00:23:39.789 --> 00:23:43.519 free of drugs, You don't want to spend the night 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:47.319 at your drug dealer's house. Because chances 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:52.220 are you're going to use. That's obvious. But 00:23:52.220 --> 00:23:54.000 so often when it comes to our mental health, 00:23:54.059 --> 00:23:58.299 it's not as obvious to us. But if you begin to 00:23:58.299 --> 00:24:00.000 notice that every time you hang out with a certain 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.400 friend, you walk away feeling a little dirty, 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:06.539 a little less like Jesus, and you're becoming 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:08.500 more critical, more angry, more bitter, or more 00:24:08.500 --> 00:24:11.589 negative. Maybe it's time to stop spending so 00:24:11.589 --> 00:24:15.089 much time with that friend and redefine the relationship. 00:24:16.029 --> 00:24:19.990 You love them, you encourage them, but you don't 00:24:19.990 --> 00:24:22.490 spend a lot of time with them. And if you want 00:24:22.490 --> 00:24:25.509 to get mentally healthy, you want to stay mentally 00:24:25.509 --> 00:24:30.170 strong, you have to recognize that everyone from 00:24:30.170 --> 00:24:33.349 your past doesn't have to come into your future. 00:24:34.990 --> 00:24:38.430 Sometimes you have to let the past be the past. 00:24:39.849 --> 00:24:42.650 So we have to be careful about our inputs. We 00:24:42.650 --> 00:24:45.190 have to be careful about our habits. And we have 00:24:45.190 --> 00:24:49.289 to be careful about our relationships. And let's 00:24:49.289 --> 00:24:53.690 just pause there a second. Just focus on and 00:24:53.690 --> 00:24:57.269 think about who and what is shaping your life. 00:24:58.109 --> 00:25:03.609 And remember Paul's words. Be careful. Be careful. 00:25:04.049 --> 00:25:07.990 Be careful. Stand strong. Practical wisdom from 00:25:07.990 --> 00:25:10.630 the Bible. But quite often when it comes to that 00:25:10.630 --> 00:25:13.549 practical wisdom, it's good and we stop right 00:25:13.549 --> 00:25:15.789 there. But we have to remember there's a spiritual 00:25:15.789 --> 00:25:18.829 component. We have to feed our spirits as well. 00:25:19.089 --> 00:25:21.529 Because if we only focus on the physical and 00:25:21.529 --> 00:25:24.029 the practical side of life, then our relationship 00:25:24.029 --> 00:25:27.210 with Jesus suffers. And then the filling of the 00:25:27.210 --> 00:25:29.430 Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit 00:25:29.430 --> 00:25:31.789 isn't there. And then we rely on our own strength, 00:25:31.869 --> 00:25:33.970 which leads us back to the chains, which leads 00:25:33.970 --> 00:25:37.049 us back to the temptation. So we have to remember. 00:25:37.630 --> 00:25:40.930 It's a both -and approach. Practical, wisdom, 00:25:41.109 --> 00:25:45.769 yes, and spiritual. Which leads us to our spiritual 00:25:45.769 --> 00:25:51.250 focus. Prayer is powerful. We have to be prayerful. 00:25:51.349 --> 00:25:54.210 Why? Because prayer touches the heart of God. 00:25:55.009 --> 00:25:59.289 Prayer moves the heart of God, and God responds 00:25:59.289 --> 00:26:03.509 to our faith in prayer. That's why Paul wrote 00:26:03.509 --> 00:26:09.410 in 1 Thessalonians 5, 17, stop praying. And we 00:26:09.410 --> 00:26:12.690 have to understand that truth. We have got to 00:26:12.690 --> 00:26:16.130 apply that truth. For example, if you struggle 00:26:16.130 --> 00:26:20.930 with anxiety, it's both physical and it's spiritual. 00:26:21.490 --> 00:26:25.250 It's both and. It's not one or the other. It's 00:26:25.250 --> 00:26:27.970 physical because of what we're putting into our 00:26:27.970 --> 00:26:31.549 minds, whether it be the news or relationships. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:34.779 But it's also spiritual because we're not getting 00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.920 advice from God and allowing him to direct our 00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:41.119 steps. Do you feel depressed? There could be 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.119 a very real physical component to you feeling 00:26:44.119 --> 00:26:46.980 depressed. For example, maybe your hormones are 00:26:46.980 --> 00:26:51.279 out of whack. Or your vitamin deficiency. Or 00:26:51.279 --> 00:26:52.819 you could just be going through a very difficult 00:26:52.819 --> 00:26:55.859 season of life. But there's also a spiritual 00:26:55.859 --> 00:27:00.269 nature. It's both and. Do you feel angry? You 00:27:00.269 --> 00:27:03.390 may be a victim of abuse or someone that harmed 00:27:03.390 --> 00:27:06.569 you in your past, and you don't want to live 00:27:06.569 --> 00:27:08.470 that way because the Bible says in your anger 00:27:08.470 --> 00:27:11.609 do not sin, but you also have to embrace the 00:27:11.609 --> 00:27:14.430 spiritual side. If you're struggling mentally, 00:27:14.589 --> 00:27:17.269 emotionally, physically, remember we're a body, 00:27:17.349 --> 00:27:22.410 we're a spirit, and we're a soul, meaning our 00:27:22.410 --> 00:27:30.039 mind. The spirit lives in the body. The body 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:33.400 takes care of the mind, and God cares for everything. 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.380 See, our battle is not just against flesh and 00:27:36.380 --> 00:27:38.960 blood. It's not just against people. It's not 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:41.160 just against the world, but it's spiritual. We 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:45.440 have an enemy. We have to be prayerful. And for 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:47.180 so many of you, you're like, well, I don't even 00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:49.480 know how to pray, Chris. I don't even know what 00:27:49.480 --> 00:27:52.339 that means. I hear it all the time. I don't know 00:27:52.339 --> 00:27:54.079 the right words. I don't know what to say. I 00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.000 don't know what God wants me to hear. And then 00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:59.319 here's Paul telling me to never stop praying. 00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:02.940 How do I do that? Three simple steps. Are you 00:28:02.940 --> 00:28:06.680 ready? First one's this. Just keep it simple. 00:28:08.660 --> 00:28:11.819 I was going to say stupid, but I didn't. But 00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:17.039 I did. Keep it simple. Prayer is not about the 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:22.379 words. It's not a script that we follow. Prayer 00:28:22.379 --> 00:28:24.980 is about connection with God. That's all it was. 00:28:25.839 --> 00:28:30.380 Jesus never required complicated prayers. Never. 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:34.299 He never said that only the pastors should pray. 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.819 He never said that. Matthew chapter six, verse 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:40.940 seven through eight. When you pray, don't babble 00:28:40.940 --> 00:28:43.859 on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers 00:28:43.859 --> 00:28:45.660 are answered merely by repeating their words 00:28:45.660 --> 00:28:48.559 again and again. Don't be like them. For your 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:51.680 father knows exactly what you need even before 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:56.200 you ask him. Think about that. God isn't impressed 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:59.599 by length. He's not impressed by words. He's 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:02.259 not impressed by posture. You know what God responds 00:29:02.259 --> 00:29:07.680 to? Sincerity. God responds to honesty. God would 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:12.160 rather hear a help me than a perfectly orated 00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:16.440 speech. He would rather hear you say help me. 00:29:17.480 --> 00:29:20.839 And for those of you that don't know how to pray, 00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:27.579 if you can talk, you can pray. And if you can't 00:29:27.579 --> 00:29:30.559 talk, then chances are you know sign language. 00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:34.579 And I believe God knows sign language too. Because 00:29:34.579 --> 00:29:38.039 he knows our what? Hearts. He already knows what 00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:40.039 we're going to say before we even say it. So 00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:41.900 for you to say you don't have the words to say 00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:47.660 is a complete lie. For example. God, I'm tired. 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:52.299 And tell him why you're tired. God, I need you. 00:29:53.380 --> 00:29:57.500 Tell him why you need him. How about starting 00:29:57.500 --> 00:30:00.940 our day with, God, thank you for allowing me 00:30:00.940 --> 00:30:04.880 to wake up today and breathe a big, fresh breath 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.759 of air. And tell him why you're thankful. That's 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:13.700 how we pray. There shouldn't be one person that 00:30:13.700 --> 00:30:17.490 says, I don't know how to pray. or what to pray. 00:30:18.950 --> 00:30:23.849 If you know how to talk, you can pray. Which 00:30:23.849 --> 00:30:26.130 leads us to our next step in becoming prayerful. 00:30:26.289 --> 00:30:30.109 Keep it honest. Keep it simple. Keep it honest. 00:30:30.890 --> 00:30:35.009 We already learned when Jesus shared that God 00:30:35.009 --> 00:30:38.690 already knows our hearts. He knows what is happening 00:30:38.690 --> 00:30:40.890 in our lives. You know what he's waiting for? 00:30:41.569 --> 00:30:44.210 He's waiting for us to be real. He's waiting 00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:47.549 for us to be honest. He's waiting for us to stop 00:30:47.549 --> 00:30:51.470 pretending that he doesn't know because he does. 00:30:52.589 --> 00:30:55.589 And in the Psalms, David didn't hide his emotions. 00:30:55.910 --> 00:30:59.250 Notice Psalm 22. My God, my God, why have you 00:30:59.250 --> 00:31:01.789 abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I'm 00:31:01.789 --> 00:31:04.329 going for help? Every day I call to you, my God, 00:31:04.509 --> 00:31:06.910 but you do not answer. Every night I lift my 00:31:06.910 --> 00:31:10.329 voice, but I find no relief. When's the last 00:31:10.329 --> 00:31:13.430 time you prayed that prayer? Because if you're 00:31:13.430 --> 00:31:15.170 struggling, that's what should be coming out 00:31:15.170 --> 00:31:18.869 of your mouth. David prayed in fear. David prayed 00:31:18.869 --> 00:31:20.990 through anger. David prayed through confusion. 00:31:21.670 --> 00:31:24.549 David prayed through doubt. Read the Psalms. 00:31:24.650 --> 00:31:29.089 It's all in there. And here's the reality. God 00:31:29.089 --> 00:31:33.269 can handle our truth. Even the messy parts that 00:31:33.269 --> 00:31:36.309 we want to hide from him. And see, the struggle 00:31:36.309 --> 00:31:40.390 for many of us is when we hide it. We hide it 00:31:40.390 --> 00:31:42.069 because we know if we bring it to the light, 00:31:42.210 --> 00:31:45.369 that change will happen. And we're afraid to 00:31:45.369 --> 00:31:48.190 bring it to the light. So I want to challenge 00:31:48.190 --> 00:31:52.569 you this week. Bring it to the light. Because 00:31:52.569 --> 00:31:55.789 that's when freedom begins. You don't have to 00:31:55.789 --> 00:31:58.710 clean yourself up before you talk to God. Be 00:31:58.710 --> 00:32:01.009 honest with him. God, I'm mad. I'm angry. I'm 00:32:01.009 --> 00:32:03.690 upset. I'm frustrated. This happened in my life. 00:32:03.869 --> 00:32:07.319 I lost my job. I can't pay my bills. I'm drowning 00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:10.279 in debt. I don't understand, God, what is happening 00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:14.440 in my life. Why are my children struggling? Like, 00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:16.660 talk to him. Well, what if I don't hear back 00:32:16.660 --> 00:32:20.220 from him? Keep talking. And then give him time 00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:22.839 to speak. Because quite often we don't hear back 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:25.720 from him because we don't shut up enough to listen. 00:32:27.039 --> 00:32:29.119 We just want to tell him all of our pain and 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:30.859 all of our doubt and all of our frustration and 00:32:30.859 --> 00:32:33.759 how we're just mad at him, but we won't listen 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:38.109 long enough for him to speak. Honest prayers 00:32:38.109 --> 00:32:42.869 build a real relationship with Jesus. Honest 00:32:42.869 --> 00:32:45.130 prayers allow for us to trust him with our lives, 00:32:45.230 --> 00:32:47.730 which leads us to our final step in becoming 00:32:47.730 --> 00:32:51.190 prayerful. Keep it real. Keep it honest. Keep 00:32:51.190 --> 00:32:55.970 it going. It's not a one -time thing. It's not 00:32:55.970 --> 00:32:58.490 a prayer that you pray before a meal. It's literally 00:32:58.490 --> 00:33:03.130 a lifestyle. 1 Thessalonians 5, 17. Never stop 00:33:03.130 --> 00:33:06.720 praying. Now, some of you are like, Chris, how 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:09.500 do you do that? How is it that you never stop 00:33:09.500 --> 00:33:12.380 praying? It's not that you never stop praying. 00:33:12.460 --> 00:33:14.579 It doesn't mean you just pray nonstop all day. 00:33:15.539 --> 00:33:17.799 It's about being connected to Jesus. That's what 00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:20.420 it means. It's about relying on the Holy Spirit. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:22.119 That's what Paul is telling us when he says, 00:33:22.200 --> 00:33:24.779 never stop praying. By the way, for those of 00:33:24.779 --> 00:33:28.519 you that have never memorized a verse, oh, I 00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:34.029 can't do it. They're too long. Guess what? I 00:33:34.029 --> 00:33:37.190 found a verse for you to memorize that's not 00:33:37.190 --> 00:33:45.509 that long. Look. Look. I think we can all memorize 00:33:45.509 --> 00:33:50.329 it together. What do you think? Let's all try. 00:33:50.609 --> 00:33:56.109 1 Thessalonians 5, 17. Are you ready? Never stop 00:33:56.109 --> 00:33:58.869 praying. Yeah, you did it. Give your neighbor 00:33:58.869 --> 00:34:02.589 a high five. Give them a high five. Give your 00:34:02.589 --> 00:34:05.910 neighbor a high five. Why are you staring at 00:34:05.910 --> 00:34:15.710 me? Give your neighbor a high five. Jeez. You 00:34:15.710 --> 00:34:22.590 did it. It's a reminder. Don't just pray when 00:34:22.590 --> 00:34:27.590 life is falling apart. Never stop praying so 00:34:27.590 --> 00:34:32.309 it doesn't. Like remain in prayer. Practical 00:34:32.309 --> 00:34:34.030 ways to keep it going throughout today. You ready? 00:34:35.429 --> 00:34:38.489 Just talk to him before your feet hit the ground 00:34:38.489 --> 00:34:41.030 when you wake up. Holy Spirit, come fill me with 00:34:41.030 --> 00:34:44.170 your presence. Give me direction today. Pray 00:34:44.170 --> 00:34:47.650 and worship in your car on the way to work because 00:34:47.650 --> 00:34:50.530 you're going to need it. And then more importantly, 00:34:50.710 --> 00:34:53.690 pray and worship in your car on the way home 00:34:53.690 --> 00:34:55.750 from work because you don't want to bring that 00:34:55.750 --> 00:35:01.630 garbage to your family. Pray over every meal, 00:35:01.750 --> 00:35:05.150 especially the ones you're at work. Pray before 00:35:05.150 --> 00:35:08.050 you fall asleep. Pray when you're in crisis. 00:35:08.250 --> 00:35:11.269 Pray when you have to make a decision. See, keep 00:35:11.269 --> 00:35:14.250 coming back to God even when you don't feel like 00:35:14.250 --> 00:35:18.210 it. And then you're going to realize the connection 00:35:18.210 --> 00:35:22.150 is real. See, consistency in prayer builds strength 00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:28.010 over time. Keep it simple. Keep it honest. Keep 00:35:28.010 --> 00:35:31.400 it going. And what was that verse we just memorized? 00:35:33.199 --> 00:35:40.260 Man, awesome. This sermon is a win. Check it. 00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:43.800 Because you learned something. Let's all stand. 00:35:52.980 --> 00:35:56.230 All right. We're not done by a long shot. So 00:35:56.230 --> 00:35:58.349 just because I'm making you stand, I'm creating 00:35:58.349 --> 00:36:00.170 healthy habits for you because you are tired 00:36:00.170 --> 00:36:09.210 of sitting. So just everyone relax. So I was 00:36:09.210 --> 00:36:11.489 praying about how to close out this series and 00:36:11.489 --> 00:36:15.389 I felt like I needed to read the Bible over you. 00:36:15.929 --> 00:36:18.309 I felt like I needed to read scripture over you 00:36:18.309 --> 00:36:21.300 because the scripture is truth. And there's a 00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:24.079 section in the Bible that refers to us standing 00:36:24.079 --> 00:36:28.940 strong and remaining faithful in him. It's in 00:36:28.940 --> 00:36:31.159 Ephesians chapter six, verses 10 through 18. 00:36:32.760 --> 00:36:38.500 And Paul says it this way. A final word. Be strong 00:36:38.500 --> 00:36:41.840 in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on all 00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:44.639 of God's armor so that you'll be able to stand 00:36:44.639 --> 00:36:48.179 firm against all the strategy of the devil. For 00:36:48.179 --> 00:36:50.400 we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, 00:36:50.619 --> 00:36:52.559 but against evil rulers and authorities in the 00:36:52.559 --> 00:36:55.599 unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark 00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:58.199 world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly 00:36:58.199 --> 00:37:01.880 places. Therefore, church, put on every piece 00:37:01.880 --> 00:37:04.219 of God's armor so you will be able to resist 00:37:04.219 --> 00:37:08.019 the enemy in the time of evil. Then, after the 00:37:08.019 --> 00:37:12.579 battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand 00:37:12.579 --> 00:37:18.050 your ground. Stand it. Put on the belt of truth 00:37:18.050 --> 00:37:20.869 and the body armor of God's righteousness. For 00:37:20.869 --> 00:37:22.929 shoes, put on the peace that comes from the good 00:37:22.929 --> 00:37:26.130 news so that you will be fully prepared. In addition 00:37:26.130 --> 00:37:28.429 to all these, hold up the shield of faith to 00:37:28.429 --> 00:37:31.630 stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation 00:37:31.630 --> 00:37:33.710 as your helmet and take the sword of the spirit, 00:37:33.929 --> 00:37:38.130 which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit 00:37:38.130 --> 00:37:42.349 at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert 00:37:42.349 --> 00:37:46.820 and be persistent in your prayers. For all believers. 00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:51.820 Everywhere. So Holy Spirit come. Seal that truth 00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:56.920 in our hearts today God. Release your presence. 00:37:56.980 --> 00:38:01.800 Your peace. Your joy God. And empower. This community 00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:05.920 of faith. To stand firm. To stand strong. In 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:11.300 your truth. By your power. In Jesus name. Amen. 00:38:13.449 --> 00:38:15.949 And listen, I want to encourage some of you lovingly. 00:38:16.969 --> 00:38:19.389 As I was praying about, praying a simple prayer, 00:38:19.489 --> 00:38:21.869 and many of you know I pray a simple prayer every 00:38:21.869 --> 00:38:24.610 single week, that I needed to challenge a certain 00:38:24.610 --> 00:38:29.889 category of people. Next week is Easter. And 00:38:29.889 --> 00:38:33.849 we're going to see a huge influx of people that 00:38:33.849 --> 00:38:37.190 you invite to be here. And the crazy thing is, 00:38:37.289 --> 00:38:40.369 many of those people are going to attend a church, 00:38:40.429 --> 00:38:43.119 and they're going to think, I'm checking the 00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:48.320 box. My relationship with God is okay. And simply 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:52.179 stated, for many of them, it's not. Because church 00:38:52.179 --> 00:38:55.039 isn't about checking a box. Church isn't about 00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:58.460 going to church. And I felt like God said to 00:38:58.460 --> 00:39:00.360 me that there were going to be people here this 00:39:00.360 --> 00:39:02.960 week that you've been in church your whole life. 00:39:04.019 --> 00:39:07.539 It's just become a part of what you do. But unfortunately, 00:39:07.860 --> 00:39:10.679 it's not about the relationship with him. It's 00:39:10.679 --> 00:39:13.630 about checking that box. So I want you to search 00:39:13.630 --> 00:39:16.789 your heart if you fall into that category and 00:39:16.789 --> 00:39:21.449 ask yourself, am I in a relationship with Jesus? 00:39:21.909 --> 00:39:25.949 Am I forgiven? Is he my Lord? Do I make him my 00:39:25.949 --> 00:39:29.889 priority? Do I know the difference between living 00:39:29.889 --> 00:39:33.210 in the world and being of the world? Do I know 00:39:33.210 --> 00:39:35.750 that difference? Do I want to be in the world 00:39:35.750 --> 00:39:38.570 living for him, bringing his kingdom to it so 00:39:38.570 --> 00:39:42.139 other people experience new life? Or do I just 00:39:42.139 --> 00:39:45.940 use it as a crutch, an excuse to move forward 00:39:45.940 --> 00:39:50.420 and say, I'm a Christian and I'm okay? So allow 00:39:50.420 --> 00:39:52.760 the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart this morning 00:39:52.760 --> 00:39:55.719 and answer that question for yourself. Because 00:39:55.719 --> 00:39:58.079 we're going to pray a simple prayer. And if you 00:39:58.079 --> 00:40:00.699 know that you're distant, far from God, or haven't 00:40:00.699 --> 00:40:02.940 started that relationship, start it right now 00:40:02.940 --> 00:40:05.559 as we all pray it together. Amen? Let's pray. 00:40:05.860 --> 00:40:10.769 Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of doubt. shame, 00:40:11.050 --> 00:40:17.909 regret, sin. Change me. Forgive me. I believe 00:40:17.909 --> 00:40:22.789 you're God's son. I believe you died for me. 00:40:23.409 --> 00:40:28.170 Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. 00:40:28.909 --> 00:40:33.190 Help me, God, to serve others. In Jesus' name, 00:40:33.329 --> 00:40:40.150 amen. There are several words of knowledge I 00:40:40.150 --> 00:40:43.530 want to share with you, but one word was around 00:40:43.530 --> 00:40:46.610 John chapter 5. And in John chapter 5, Jesus 00:40:46.610 --> 00:40:51.449 came up to a pool at Bethesda, and he found a 00:40:51.449 --> 00:40:55.989 lame man, a man that was lame for 38 years. Jesus 00:40:55.989 --> 00:40:59.570 looked at him and said, when Jesus saw him and 00:40:59.570 --> 00:41:01.570 knew he had been ill for a long time, he said, 00:41:01.670 --> 00:41:05.610 would you like to get well? And I believe Jesus 00:41:05.610 --> 00:41:09.230 is asking that same question to us. And my challenge 00:41:09.230 --> 00:41:12.309 to you is don't be like the lame man. Yes, he 00:41:12.309 --> 00:41:15.050 walked away healed, but notice his answer. I 00:41:15.050 --> 00:41:17.610 can't, sir, the sick man said, for I have no 00:41:17.610 --> 00:41:19.570 one to put me in the pool when the water bubbles 00:41:19.570 --> 00:41:22.170 up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me. 00:41:23.289 --> 00:41:27.090 That's an excuse. The lame man had an excuse 00:41:27.090 --> 00:41:31.190 for not getting well. I believe all of us now 00:41:31.190 --> 00:41:35.230 know that Jesus is initiating grace for all of 00:41:35.230 --> 00:41:39.130 us. He initiates grace. It's our faith that makes 00:41:39.130 --> 00:41:42.329 us heal and whole. And for some of you, you need 00:41:42.329 --> 00:41:44.750 to step out in faith, believing that God's gonna 00:41:44.750 --> 00:41:46.409 heal you for anything that you're struggling 00:41:46.409 --> 00:41:49.530 with in this life because in your life, it's 00:41:49.530 --> 00:41:52.329 pulling you down mentally and you need a breakthrough. 00:41:53.610 --> 00:41:57.650 And the words of knowledge were, you have constant 00:41:57.650 --> 00:41:59.690 and consistent headaches that you're struggling 00:41:59.690 --> 00:42:02.989 with every day. Pain on the top of your left 00:42:02.989 --> 00:42:06.199 ankle or foot. pain at the base of your neck 00:42:06.199 --> 00:42:09.039 that goes down into your right shoulder. You're 00:42:09.039 --> 00:42:11.539 struggling with overwhelming fear that doesn't 00:42:11.539 --> 00:42:15.260 allow you to experience peace. If any of those 00:42:15.260 --> 00:42:16.840 are you, I want to encourage you to step out 00:42:16.840 --> 00:42:18.639 in faith, get some prayer, get some healing. 00:42:19.320 --> 00:42:21.860 And if you did commit your life to Jesus, our 00:42:21.860 --> 00:42:25.019 baptism is this Friday on Good Friday. We have 00:42:25.019 --> 00:42:28.780 a worship night and a baptism. Be a part and 00:42:28.780 --> 00:42:32.699 experience God's grace. Love you guys. Can't 00:42:32.699 --> 00:42:34.579 wait to celebrate Easter with you next weekend. 00:42:35.099 --> 00:42:37.659 I'm coming, Frank. God bless you.